There's no way back to the world you knew. The Smiths covered Cilla's Work Is A Four-letter Word, just as they covered Twinkle's Golden Lights (Twinkle also died this year), just as I covered Lynn Anderson's Rose Garden, and of course, Lynn slipped away last week.
Never stationary throughout the 1960s, Cilla Black made some great records - The Right One Is Left, Suffer Now I Must, It's For You, I've Been Wrong Before, What Good Am I?

I'm very grateful for the songs, and it never occurred to me that such people could die.

Would the United Nations have the nerve to bring Walter Palmer to justice for his murder of Cecil the Lion? The answer, as we all know, is ... No, because it would upset the established elite (see brave Harry Battenberg below, engaging in his favorite pastime).

Walter Palmer does not appear in court in Zimbabwe and instead decides to do what the newspapers eloquently term "a runner". Yet an order is not issued for his arrest! So, from this we learn that, should we ever be summoned to court, we need only run off and the courts won't mind in the least! End of case! Try it! You'll get away with it! Walter Palmer has! Free to kill again! Evidently the law and justice rarely combine.

Morrissey
30 July 2015

illustration of Cecil (doing to Walter Palmer precisely what Walter Palmer did to Cecil) by Steven Pottle, reprinted with great respect to Steven Pottle.

photograph of Dennis the Menace (known only in Buckingham Palace as 'Harry the Hero'), unknown source, reprinted here with thanks to the photographer.

Update: More than 180,000 people have signed a petition to the White House to extradite Walter Palmer to face justice in Zimbabwe.

Morrissey will be interviewed by famed American television host Larry King on August 17th. Larry King has conducted over 30,000 television interviews. Mr King hosted Larry King Live at CNN for 25 years, and also wrote a column for USA Today for 20 years. He has received ten Cable ACE Awards and two Peabody Awards, and he has been inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame, the Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and is a recipient of the Golden Mike Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Now I know what Rollermania was like (you are too young to remember), and now I know what Osmondmania was like (you are too young to remember), and now I know what Beatlemania was like (everyone is too old to remember). Thank you for our best ever American tour. We are engulfed by a sense of indebtedness and joy. The credit for such a wonderful tour is all yours. We simply turn up and hope for the best and that best is you.

... and this list continues. Yet it halts at the mere mention of the Firefly Festival - an absurd situation best forgotten.

However, what has caused this sudden new life form? Why are we back in the glory days of 1991/92? Why now? I rashly imagine it is partly public support in response to World peace is none of your business being axed in its prime by Steve Barnett - that cheap model of Humpty Dumpty whose Harvest/Capitol label can offer the world absolutely nothing in place of World peace is none of your business. I believe that his actions have enraged many people throughout the world, and the fact that he still has a job indicates the hellward march of a music industry that will never allow itself to be surprised by anything that is not endorsed by television 'talent' shows (none of which have yet produced one single lasting or meaningful star). However, he is now unworthy of further mention. He lives inside his own skin, which is surely punishment enough.

The heart fretted slightly at the Sydney book-signing. I had no idea that the shop would only allow 220 people in, and I only later learned that the shop threatened police action against anyone who loitered within or outside of the shop without one of those special-invitation confirmation things: a fascinating way to treat grown adults. Consequently, the Sydney book-signing was an outstanding non-event, and only later do to we learn the facts.

Our four nights at Sydney Opera House left me too much in love with whatever it is I do to ever hang back. Although my achievements are generally ignored by the media, my heart records everything, and I fall over with gratitude to all of the people who made the four Opera House nights instant sell-outs. My prayers of thanks to the people of Sydney, I know, could never be sufficient to repay their love and respect.

What is it all about, really? So much love in such a very cruel world. I say the latter as I read about Walter James Palmer of Eden Prairie in Minnesota who murdered the very beautiful and much-loved lion named Cecil, so trusting of people and leading such a contented life until Walter James Palmer (a dentist at River Bluff Dental in Minnesota) lured Cecil to a death that took 40 hours of pain before the lion died. How does our society produce people as evil as Walter James Palmer? Well, Melissa Bachman (also of Minnesota) got away with it, so the shootists' door swings open time and again in the USA. Kill for fun.

However, our societies will always hatch the ugly elements, as murdering animals is also a hysterically funny pastime in the family of Donald Trump - who will probably express outrage and disgust at the next inevitable American school shooting.

For me, if permissible! these are happy times, and the band and I look forward to the rest of the year ... South and Central America and our shows in Europe. We pray that we live up to your expectations. Please understand that satisfaction comes from the courage of standing up and speaking out, not from holding back.Good times for a change.

I am unwilling to close my mind.

Morrissey
29 July 2015.

recent tour photograph above of Jesse Tobias taken by Christopher Victorio, and printed here with great respect to the photographer.

On leaving the US on 27 July I flew from San Francisco International Airport to London on flight BA 284.

At 2:30 in the afternoon I went through the usual airport security procedure including the stand-up 'scanner', and all was well - no bleeps and nothing unusual.

Before I could gather my belongings from the usual array of trays I was approached by an "airport security officer" who stopped me, crouched before me and groped my penis and testicles. He quickly moved away as an older "airport security officer" approached.

The officer who sexually assaulted me was identified as the General Manager On Duty. Luckily I was accompanied by two members of British Airways Special Services, who were horrified at the sexual attack and suggested that I lodge a complaint. I asked if there would be any point in lodging a complaint since, as with any complaint against a figure in "authority", the complaints are simply collected in order to protect the guilty officer should the matter go further. The British Airways Special Services employees assured me that a complaint was worthwhile, and so I filed the appropriate information. However, before doing so, the guilty "officer" was confronted, and the conversation went thus:

You have just sexually groped this man.Officer: That's just your opinion.
What you have done is illegal.Officer: That's just your opinion.
You have no right to do what you have just done.Officer: That's just your opinion.

Apart from "that's just your opinion", he would not comment, even though, since the penis and testicles were mine and no one else's, then my opinion must surely have some meaning. But, of course, what the airport security officer was saying was: your opinion will never count in the eyes of the law. The words "that's just your opinion" volunteered themselves from this 'officer's' mouth before he had even heard the question. He knew he could be confronted, but he also knew that he could never be challenged (even though the entire incident is most certainly on CCTV camera).

In the interests of imperishable bureaucracy my submitted complaint against this 'officer' will obviously be either unread or ignored because, as we all know, on matters of officialism it is not possible to be pleasantly surprised by anything at all. However, what is clear is that, should you find yourself traveling through San Francisco International Airport, you should expect sexual abuse from the so-called 'security officers' who, we are unconvincingly warned, are acting only for our security.